Coupling device.



M. A MARTIN.

COUPLING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED 0019. 1911.

1,167,832, Patented Jan. 11, 1916.

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MLA. MARTIN.

COUPLING DEVICE.

APPLICATION HLED 001.9. 1911.

1,167,832. Patented Ja11.11, 1916.

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F/E.5 F/E.4 F/Eg amen top Wm WM WWW MORRIS A. MARTIN, OF DAYTON, OHIO.

s COUPLING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters iatent.

Patented Jan. 11, 1916.

Application filed October 9, 1911. Serial No. 653,586.

To all/whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Mourns A. MARTIN, residing at Dayton, Montgomerycounty, Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCoupling Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

This invention relates to improvements in coupling devices for couplingtogether two adjacent parts, and is more particularly designed by me foruse as a hose coupling to couple together the two ends of sections ofhose or to couple one end of a hose section to the hydrant. But it is tobe understood that the invention is applicable to other uses as acoupling device. For example, it is often times desired to have a tightform of closure for bottles or other receptacles, in which case thepresent invention could be made use of to couple the cap or similardevice to the opening of the receptacle. As a further example of suchuse, the invention may be applicable to the cap of automobile radiatorswhere it is desired to close the opening quickly and securely by meansof the cap.

It is among the general objects to provide such a form of coupling aswill enable the two parts to be coupled together with great securenessand also with rapidity. This becomes particularly important in case ofcouplings for fire hose where it is highly desirable to have a verysecure coupling between the hose sections in order to prevent leaks andalso where speed in coupling is an important element' With these andincidental objects in view, the invention constitutes in certain novelcombinations and arrangements of parts, a preferred form of embodimentof which is shown in the accompanying drawings forming a part of thisspecification.

In said drawings Figure 1 represents a side view partly sectionalized oftwo sections of hose coupled together by this device; Fig. 2 is anotherside view partly scctionalized of one end of a hose section into whichis screwed one member ofthe coupling device; Fig. 3 is an end view ofthe part shown in Fig. 2, looking from the right-hand side of Fig. 2;Fig. 4; is aside elevation of the coupling device shown as applied to ahydrant pipe, with a cap attached to form a closure in the absence ofthe other hose section; Fig. 5 is an end view t Fige looking from t le to g-- but with the cap removed, and also partly broken away to show theset-screw which serves as an alining device; Fig. 6 is a partlysectionalized side view of the afore said cap; Fig. 7 is across-sectional view 7 through the locking collar or slip-lock as it maybe called; Fig. 8 is a partly sectionalized side view of the othercoupling member, with the locking collar removed; Fig. 9 is a modifiedform of interlocking device for the coupling improvement.

Referring to Fig. 1, 20 and 21 represent two opposite sections of hosethat are to be coupled together. For convenience I will refer-to theseimprovements as particularly concerning the coupling of hose, it beingunderstood of course that the improvements are nevertheless applicableto other uses.

Firmly attached to the hose section 20 is the first coupling member 22,and to the hose section 21 the second coupling member 23. This couplingis effected by means of a locking collar or slip-lock 24:. As willpresently be seen, this locking collar 24: is

in connection with attaching to a hydrant,

referring to one of the coupling sections as the hose section or'member,and the other as the hydrant section or member.

In Fig. 2 the hose 30 is-shown attached by an ordinary swivel screwcollar, to the hose coupling member 32, so that the hose is shownsecurely attached to this coupling member 32. The end view of thiscoupling member 32 is shown in Fig. 3, where it will be seen that theouter end thereof is formed with a pair of mutilated or segmental screwthreads, which for convenience I will here: after refer to as theinterlocking threads 34 and 35. These threads are adapted to inter lockwith similar segmental threads on the interior of the locking collar ashereinafter explained. A notch or slot 36 is formed in the periphery ofthe rim 37 of this coupling member-I The purpose of this. slot is toen"- gage a pin on the other coupling member so as to prevent relativeturning movement be tween the two during the coupling or pullingtogether of the two members, as will presently be explained. A gasket 38is seated in the interior of this coupling member, abutting against ashoulder 39. The purpose of this gasket is to form a water-tight fitwhen it is engaged by the collar of the other coupling member when theparts are coupled together.

Referring now to Fig. 8, this figure shows the other coupling member 40which I for convenience will refer to as the hydrant member. A thread 41is formed in one end of this hydrant member 40 so that this member maybe screwed on to the projecting plug of the hydrant in the usual mannerin which an ordinary hose section is now screwed on. It will beunderstood that as a matter of fact the projecting plug of the hydrant mght be regularly formed with the devices and construction such as willbe shown to be contained in this coupling member 40; but for convenienceI have provided a separate coupling member so that it may be screwed onto any hydrant of the-ordinary form, thus making the presentimprovements applicable to being attached to any hydrant withoutnecessitating particular construction of the hydrant connecting plug.This coupling member 40 or hvdrant member. has at its outer end acontinuous screw thread 42 which toward its inner end terminates in aperipheral recess 43 which ends with a blocking shoulder 44. The extremeouter end of the member 40 is of smaller diameter and carries no screwthread so that it forms a projecting sleeve 45. This sleeve is the partwhich is adapted to abut against the other coupling member 32, aspreviously referred to, the outer rim of this sleeve 45 abutt ng againstthe gasket 38 to make a water-tight connection.

A pin 46 projects outwardly from the thread portion 42, along the sleeve45. and is ada ted to engage the slot 36 previously refe d to in thecoupl ng member 32. so that when the two parts are put together. theslot 36 will engage over the pin 46 and relative turning movement o thetwo coupling membe s is then im oss b e.

I will now desc ibe the lockin collar wh ch is shown n Fig. 7. Thislocking collar 24 is fo med with a regula con inuous r ght-handed thread50 to fit the aforesaid thread 42 of the coupling member 40. Thus thecollar can be screwed on to said mem ber 40 in the usual way by theengagem nt of the thread 50 with the thread 42. The engagement of theseor similar parts is shown in Fig. 2 as previously referred to, exceptthat the coupling member 22 is in that case an end of the hose sectioninstead of a hydrant member. When the collar 24 has been screwed up toabout the limit of its thread a set-screw 51 (see Figs. 1 and 5) isscrewed downward through a hole 52 (see Fig. 7) formed in the peripheryof the collar 24. At this point the set-screw is in lateral alinementwith the aforesaid groove 43. and by screwing down the set-screw at thispoint, its lower end will be in the path of contact of the shoulder 44as shown in Fig. 5. The purpose of this construction is to limit theunscrewing movement of the collar 24. Thus the collar 24 is screwed onto the hydrant member 40 practically to its complete extent, and thenmay be turned backward through some quarter or other convenient fractionof a turn until the setscrew strikes the shoulder 44, thus limiting theunscrewing movement of the collar. This limitation of the unscrewingmovement is of convenience in preventing the collar from beinginadvertently or improperly unscrewed after once put on. but moreparticularly it is important in order to bring the coupling parts intocertain alinement as will presently be explained, which alinement isnecessary in putting the parts together preparatory for coupling. Theother half of said collar 24, opposite to the screw thread 50, is formedwith two internally projecting segmental screw threads 54 and 55. Thesesegmental threads 54 and 55 are similar to the previously describedsegmental threads 34 and shown in Figs. 2 and 3 and the two pairs ofthreads form interlocking elements when the coupling is effected.Assuming now that the collar 2-ihas been screwed to the hydrant couplingNo. 40 (such for example as in the same position shown for the parts inFig. 1), then the other coupling member or hose coupling member 32 shownin Fig. 2 is brought up to the outer portion of the collar 24 in suchposition that the segmental interlocking threads 34 and 35 are oppositethe vacant or recess portions 56 which intervene cn in ternal peripheryof the collar 24 between the segmental projecting threads 54 and 55.Thus the turning of the locking collar 24 will now immediately cause theinterlocking threads 34 and 54 also 35 and 55 to engage and interlock orbe screwed together by this turning mo ement of the collar 25 in theright-h nd direction. In the mean ime the sleeve 45 has been broughtinto abutting position against the gasket 38, and since the saidsegmental threads are left-hand threads. the ordinary right-hand turningof the collar causes these left-hand threads to act to pull the couplingmember 32 inward toward the other coupling member 40. Of course at thesame time the revoluble mo e ment of the collar 24 is, by reason of itsthread 50, advancing inward along the thread 42 to a slight extent whichacts still further to pull the coupling member' 32' to ward the othercoupling member as this movement of pulling together these couplingmembers 32 and 40 is partly produced by the pitch of the right-handthreads 50 and 4:2 and partly by the pitch of the lefthand threads 3%,54, and 35, 55. It will thus be seen that the coupling or pullingtogether movement is split up between these two sets of threads. andthis has some advantages over producing this connecting movement by asingle set of threads, but I do not wish to be limited in the scope ofmy invention necessarily to the use of two sets of threads for thispurpose except where particularly specified. It will be noted that oneof the advantageous features of this construction is this arrangement ofthe mutilated or segmental threads or unlocking surfaces. That is, inthe position preparatory to coupling, these unlocking surfaces are outof alinement, and in the process of coupling they are brought intoalinement to couple the two elements securely together. In the case ofthese threads, this makes it possible to bring several engaging portionsof the thread normally in alinement with each other so as to get thegrip or looking action of several portions of thread rather than asingle screw thread. This also en ables the coupling parts to be broughttogether at the outset so that the collar 45 may then normally sit rightagainst the gasket 38 and a slight turning movement of the collar 24then produces a substantial coupling movement pulling the two memberstogether and forcing the sleeve 45 well against the gasket 38 to preventleakage.

It will be seen that the turning of the collar 2% might tend to turn thecoupling member 32 byreason of the frictional'engagement of the lrckingthreads, and this would prevent the full efiiciency of the couplingtogether movement. Therefore the slot and pin connection 46 and 36 isprovided whereby the pin 46 entering the slot 36.prevents any revolublemovement between the coupling member 32 and the coupling member 40.Therefore the rotation of the collar 24 cannot have any turning effectupon the member 32 and the parts are susceptible merely of being pulledtogether with a coupling movement.

lVhen the parts are brought together preparatory to coupling it istherefore necessary that the segmental threads should be out ofalinement with each other, as explained. and also that the pin 46 shouldbe in position to enter the slot 36. This might be observed and preparedfor by proper shifting of the parts, but it is much more convenient tohave an alining or centering device. Therefore I have provided thissetscrew 51 above referred to. By referring to Fig. i it will be seenthat the hydrant mem-e.

so as to bring the set-screw 51 against the shoulder 44 of theunderlying hydrant member, the indicating 0r centering line marked A onthe collar and extending through the center of the set-screw, is thendirectly in alinement with the centering line 60. ,In' such position ofthe coupling member 40 and collar 2%, the internal segment threads 54:and 55 of the collar 2 L are set in their proper positions relatively-tothe pin 46 of the hydrant member 4.0, such that the other couplingmember 32 may then be inserted properly. That is, its segmental threads34: and 35, if inserted into the intervening spaces 56 between thethreads 54L and 55, will result in the slot 36 engaging over the pin L6,and thus the parts are properly put together preparatory for coupling.In order that this alining may be still further assisted withoutobserving the relative positions of the segmental threads 34 and 35, I

have found it convenient to mark a still further. centering orindicating line upon the other coupling member. This mark is not shownupon the coupling member 32 but it is shown upon the hydrant cap or plugwhich is illustrated in Figs. 4: and 6. The formation of this plug orcap 70 is just like that of the coupling member 32. In fact it is acoupling member in itself, having the regular segmental threads 34 and35 and gaskets 38 and slot 36 shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6. Acentering line A is also marked on this cap as shown in'Fig. t so thatwhen these lines are all in alinement as shown in Fig. l, the operatorknows that the parts are then in the proper position for bringing themtogether and cou-.

pling the same by rotation of the collar 24 as explained.

A chain 71 holds the plug 70 loosely attached to the hydrant member whenthe alug is removed. The set-screw 72 (Figs. 4: and 8) is for thepurpose of holding the hydrant member 40 in place after it has beenscrewed on to the hydrant.

The work of pulling together the two coupling members may be principallyborne by the segmental threads 3%, 54: and 35, 55, in case the pitch ofthe thread 50 is low, or such work may be divided up between the saidthreads 50 and the pairs of mutilated threads. Or the work of pullingthe coupling members together may be wholly borne by the threads 50 and42, in wh ch case it will be possible to use the modified form ofunlocking device shown in Fig. 9. In this case the coupling member 32 isshown formed with a pair of interlocking blocks 80 (located ondiametrically opposite sides of the periphery), and the collar 24 isprovided with a corresponding pair of interlocking blocks 81. Theseblocks with their intervening open spaces correspond to the aforesaidsegmental threads 34c, 54c and 35, the parts being put togetherpreparatory to coupling by having the blocks 80 and 81 out of alinement.Then when the collar 24 is rotated for coupling the parts together, theblocks 81 slide in back of their respective blocks 80 so that the member32 is then locked to the collar 24 so far as outward or longitudinalmovement is concerned, and the inward movement of the collar 24-produced by the screwing up of the thread 50 upon the thread 42 of thehydrant member 40, will then pull the collar member 32 along together.For convenience in taking up wear or for permitting proper interlockingengagements of said blocks 80 and 81, their engaging surfaces arebeveled as at 82. It will of course be understood that the blocks are ofsuch peripheral extent as to maintain the locking engagement over asubstantial fraction of revolution of the collar 24, this movement ofrevolution of the collar 2% until its stopping place is reached, notbeing sufficient to carry the blocks again out of alinement. And thesame centering or alining devices may be used preparatory to setting theparts ready for coupling.

The improvements above described permit quick assembling of the partsready for coupling, and a quick and secure coupling by the slightrotation of the collar 24-. The numerous advantages residing in such astructure will be apparent to those familiar with mechanisms of thissort particularly as applied to hose coupling but also having many usesin connection with other forms of appliances where it is desired tocouple together confronting members in a quick and secure manner.

While the forms of devices above set forth are peculiarly well adaptedto accomplish the objects sought, it is to be understood that theinvention is not limited to the specific details thereof but is capableof embodiment in other forms all coming within the scope of the claimswhich follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. In a coupl ng device, the combination with two coupling members. of alocking member cooperating therewith and having screw threadedconnections movablv attaching said locking member to one of saidcoupling members, with segmental interlocking screw thread portionscarried respectively bv said locking member and the second couplingmember, said segmental interlocking portions being mutually spaced topermit the coupling members to be assembled with said interlockingthreads normally out of alinement but to be brought into engaging andinterlocking position upon the coupling movement of said locking member;and a slot and pin connection between said coupling members to preventrelative rotary movement thereof; and alining means for alining saidcoupling members and locking member with said segmental threadedportions in their normal positions out of alinement preparatory to thecoupling movement of the locking member, and at the same time effectingthe connection of said connecting means between said two couplingmembers.

2. In a coupling device, the combination with two coupling members, of alocking member cooperating therewith and having connections movablyattaching said locking member to one of said coupling members, withsegmental interlocking screw thread portions carried respectively bysaid locking member and the second coupling member, said segmental.interlocking portions being mutually spaced to permit the couplingmembers to be assembled with said interlocking threads normally out ofalinement but to be brought into engaging and interlocking position uponthe coupling mov ment of said locking member; and a. slot and pinconnection between said two coupling members to prevent relative rotarymovement thereof; and an alining device comprising a blocking obstructon to position the locking member upon the first coupling member, withind cating devices carried by said locking member and said secondcoupling member to aline all of the parts in position to cause theengagement of said slot and pin connections and at the same timeassemble the segmental threaded portions out of alinement preparatory tocoupling.

3. A coupling device comprising two coupling members, and a lockingmember cooperating therewith and ha ing screwthreaded connectionsmovably attaching one of said coupling members and having interlockingsc ew threads ada ted to engage correspond ng screw threads on the othermembe wherebv sa d lock ng member is adapted. to mo e long tudinallywith respect to both of said coupl ng members upon the coupling movementthereof, in combination with means for preventing relative rotarymovement of said coupling members in the coupling movement of saidlocking member.

In testimony whereof I atliX my signature in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

MORRIS A. MARTIN.

\Vitnesses:

WVILLIAM O. GRAY, E. J. GRAEF.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C,

